Queen And Prince Philip Arrive For Highland Games (PICTURES)

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have arrived at their annual Highland Games outing.

The Braemar Gathering is held each year just a short distance from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, where the royals spend their holidays.

Prince Philip has been at the Balmoral estate since being discharged from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on August 20 where he spent five nights receiving treatment for a recurrence of a bladder infection.

The royal family were laughing and having fun at their annual Highland Games outing

He accompanied the Queen, who is patron of the Games, to watch today's traditional events, including the tossing of the caber and the tug of war.

The Games, held at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, take place on the first Saturday of every September and regularly attracts visitors from around the world to the village.

Last weekend, the Duke made his first public appearance since leaving hospital when he attended a church service at Crathie Kirk.

In June he was admitted to hospital with the same infection the day after braving cold, wet and windy conditions on the royal barge for several hours during the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames.

Philip, 91, spent five nights in London's King Edward VII Hospital and missed some of the key celebrations of a special bank holiday weekend marking the Queen's 60-year reign.